The present invention is related to a new oral pharmaceutical dosage form comprising porous inorganic particles incorporated with considerable amounts of greasy, oily or sticky (greasy/oily/sticky) substances where the new dosage form is characterised by being dry and easy to handle and having fast release properties.
In many thereapeutic areas the need for incorporating absorption enhancers (e.g. glycerol esters for increased absorption of heparin or heparin fragments or derivatives as described in WO 95/00152 to Pharmacia), solubilizing agents (like polyethoxylated hydrogenated castor oils for felodipine as disclosed in EP 0249587 to AB Hxc3xa4ssle), suspending agents (e.g. soybean oil or fractionated coconut oil for 1,2,4-benzotriazine oxide as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,582 to Sanofi), or the like into the dosage forms for drug delivery has arisen.
Incorporation of larger amounts of greasy, oily or sticky substances into pharmaceutical dosage forms have since long been known to cause technical problems. One of the problems has been to get pharmaceutically acceptable dry materials that are easy to handle and use as such or to use in later processing steps.
Earlier ways to circumvent the problem include filling the greasy/oily/sticky substances as such into soft gelatin capsules, as for instance described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,455 (Han Mi Pharm) where a concentrate for soft gelatin capsule filling comprising a cyclosporin and an oil component (improving bioavailability) is disclosed.
Many researchers have during the years described the advantage of using many small pellets (multiple unit) as a dosage form, with respect to their behaviour in vivo, i.e. especially with respect to their gastric emptying properties, see for instance Bogentoft et al, J. Clin. Pharmacol. 1978, 14, 351-5.
Another way to circumvent the problem, in line with the above findings, is to use microencapsulation. This method is, however, expensive as it includes many steps and is also often associated with big scaling-up troubles. The method has been described e.g by Luzzi in J.Pharm.Sci,1970,59,(10),1367-76.
1. Prior Art
WO 94/23703 (Kabi Pharmacia AB) discloses the manufacture of porous cellulose matrices and a multiple unit preparation containing a bioactive substance comprising porous cellulose matrice particles. However, this reference neither pertains to the problem of handling greasy, oily or sticky substances nor does it pertain to inorganic matrices.
EP 294 206 (Unilever NV) discloses porous spheroidal silica having certain characteristics having up to 50% by weight of the SiO2 of included material such for example therapeutic agents. However, this reference neither pertains to the problem of handling greasy, oily or sticky substances nor does it show any achievement of fast release properties.
2. Description of the Invention
It has now been found that a drug delivery system for oral administration in solid dry form of greasy, oily or sticky substance(s) and pharmaceutically active substance(s) or pharmaceutically active substance(s) which itself/themselves is/are greasy, oily or sticky characterized by having porous inorganic particles of small size incorporated with considerable amounts of greasy, oily or sticky substances and having fast release characteristics can overcome the drawbacks associated with previous techniques.
Thus, the present invention provides a new dosage form principle for incorporation of greasy, oily or sticky materials into particles of small size, thus enabling a possibility to make multiple unit systems thereof. To achieve this, it has been found that highly porous inorganic particles are beneficial to use.
One characteristic of the present invention is the small size of the porous particles. The size is between 5 to 150 xcexcm, preferably 20 to 100 xcexcm.
Another characteristic of the present invention is the considerable amount of the greasy, oily or sticky substance. By considerable amount in this specification is meant 15% w/w to 40% w/w, preferably 20% w/w to 40% w/w, most preferably 30% w/w to 40% w/w.
The greasy, oily or sticky substances incorporated may be, but are not restricted to, pharmaceutically active substances, such as almokalant or vitamin A; pharmaceutically active substances which are themselves not greasy, oily or sticky but which together with a greasy, oily or sticky substance is especially suitable to be incorporated into the formulation are such as felodipine, melagatran, or inogatran; absorption enhancers which are greasy, oily or sticky and selected among mono-, di- or triglycerides or mixtures thereof, such as Akoline(copyright) MCM, Imvitor 308, Imvitor 742, Imvitor 928, Imvitor 988, glycerol de caprylate(copyright); solubilizers, such as semi-solid or liquid non-ionic surface active agents, for example such containing polyethyleneglycols as esters or ethers, and which are chosen from polyethoxylated fatty acids, hydroxylated fatty acids and fatty alcohols and especially chosen from the group polyethoxylated castor oil, polyoxyethylenated hydrogenated castor oils (Cremophors), polyethoxylated fatty acid from castor oil or polyethoxylated fatty acid from hydrogenated castor oil and are known under the trade names such as Cremophor(copyright), Myrj, Polyoxol 40 stearate, Emerest 2675, Lipal 395 and HCO 50.
The drug delivery system according to the invention is also characterized by having fast release characteristics when they with an in vitro dissolution test release not less than 60% (preferably 70% w/w) of pharmaceutically active substance and greasy/oily/sticky substances, or drug when the drug is the greasy, oily or sticky substance, within 30 minutes or shorter.
For the greasy, oily or sticky substances the dissolution rate is determined using USP apparatus No. 2 (paddle), operated at 100 rpm. The dissolution medium has a temperature of 37xc2x0 C. Further there is a demand on the amount and art of dissolution medium, that it enables for the whole dose to be tested a non-retarded homogenous distribution of liberated greasy, oily or sticky substance within the medium.
For the specific greasy, oily or sticky substances shown in the examples, the medium disclosed in each example is the appropriate one.
For the drug substances the dissolution rate is determined using USP apparatus No. 2 (paddle), operated at 100 rpm. The dissolution medium has a temperature of 37xc2x0 C. Further there is a demand on the amount and art of dissolution medium, that it enables for the whole dose to be tested, a non-retarded homogenous distribution of liberated drug within the medium (sink conditions).
For the specific drugs shown in the examples, the medium disclosed in each example is the appropriate one.
It should be noted that for the one and same formulation different dissolution media might be chosen depending on the properties of the substances to be tested, if there are a greasy, oily or sticky substance and a pharmaceutically active substance present in the formulation, depending on which one of these that are to be tested.
Inorganic porous particle material used in the invention is ceramic hydroxyapatite.
The ceramic hydroxyapatite is characterized by having a range particle diameter size between 5-150 xcexcm, preferably between 20-80 xcexcm, a nominal pore diameter between 5-100 nm, preferably 50-100 nm, and a surface area between 40-50 m2/g. Ceramic hydroxyapatite is commercially available from e.g. BIO-RAD Laboratories under trade name Macro-Prep(copyright).
Loading of Porous Particles
The incorporation of the greasy, oily or sticky materials into the particles may be accomplished by conventional known methods. One is to dissolve the oil in suitable solvent and then mix with the porous particle material and dry. Alternatively the oil can be mixed directly with the porous particle materials. Another way is to use phase separation from a solution containing particles by addition of a non-solvent.
The porosity of the particles is 50-70% (v/v), preferably 62% (v/v).
When used in a drug delivery system the loaded porous particles may be used as such or filled into capsules, compressed to tablets or coated by ways well known in the art. The filling into capsules, compressing to tablets or coating should be performed in a manner that the fast release characteristics are not substantially changed. If fast release in the small intestine is desired, the loaded porous particles could be enteric coated.